"When is the next episode?" Nakayama Miyuki asked, still wanting more. "I could watch this kind of show a hundred times and never get bored."
"Next Sunday," Nakayama Takuya replied with a smile.
He knew that the show's massive success was already a foregone conclusion.
By tomorrow morning, he expected Nakagawa Jun's office phone to be ringing off the hook with calls from advertisers.
More importantly, through this window, he had successfully planted a positive set of values into the subconscious of Japanese society.
In this era where major infrastructure projects were winding down and waves of unemployment were looming, what people needed wasn't grand narratives, but a corner that could shelter them from the wind and rain, filled with warmth and affection.
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Eri leaned on Takuya's shoulder, her emotions gradually calming down.
She touched her belly and said softly, "When this baby is born, let's renovate our house too, okay? I want to leave more space for them to play."
"Okay, whatever you say," Takuya replied gently.
At the TV Tokyo headquarters in Roppongi, at this hour, typically only the security guards on duty and a few sleepless directors would be wandering the hallways.
But today, the lights in the Copyright Department and the GG Department offices were on early.
The buzzing of fax machines rose and fell, like a motor running at full capacity.
Nakagawa Jun sat in the president's office, with a cup of espresso that had already gone cold sitting before him.
He didn't touch the coffee; in his hand, he gripped the preliminary ratings report just delivered by Video Research.
Average ratings in the Kanto region: 18.4%.
In the Japanese television industry of 1995, this figure was an exceptionally impressive report card for TV Tokyo, which sat at the bottom of the traditional "Big Five" networks.
In that era, apart from NHK's Taiga dramas or those monster-level prime-time shows on TBS, snagging nearly a 20% share on a non-holiday usually meant the program had the potential to become a social phenomenon.
What caught Nakagawa Jun's attention even more was the curve—from the beginning of the program to the end, the red line slanted almost entirely upward, which meant that once viewers turned to this channel, they were firmly hooked.
He grabbed the black telephone on his desk and dialed the private number of the Nakayama residence.
When the phone connected, Hayao Nakayama was sitting on the veranda of his courtyard reading the newspaper, while Miyuki Nakayama was beside him pruning bonsai.
"Hayao-kun, haven't started breakfast yet, have you?" Jun Nakagawa's voice, even through the telephone line, couldn't hide his excitement, and he even cut straight to the point somewhat rudely, "That program last night, did you watch it?"
Hayao Nakayama folded his newspaper and placed it on his lap, his tone steady: "I did. Takuya planned it, so naturally, I, as his father, had to show my support. What is it, are the ratings out?"
"18.4%!" Jun Nakagawa raised his voice, stood up in his office, and paced back and forth, "Do you know what this means? In this time slot, we've beaten that long-running variety show on Fuji Television. The phones at the advertising department haven't stopped ringing since six this morning. The managing director of TOTO Sanitary Ware even called my home directly to ask if they could squeeze in a deep product placement in the next episode."
Hayao Nakayama was silent for a moment.
Although he didn't know anything about television production, he understood business logic.
A program that could make a construction materials giant so impatient, its monetization potential behind the scenes was far more than just those advertising fees.
"It seems Takuya has hit the mark again," Hayao Nakayama said indifferently.
"It's more than just hitting the mark; he's offering a helping hand to the ordinary people of Japan." Jun Nakagawa stopped walking and looked out at the dense cluster of buildings outside the window. "People used to think that when a house got old, you just had to tear it down or put up with it. But Takuya is saying, it can be renovated." In this morning's viewer feedback, a third of the people were asking how to contact the architect featured on the show. "Hayao, that son of yours—his understanding of human nature is truly profound."
Jun Nakagawa's remark was no simple compliment.
At this juncture in 1995, the pain of the bubble economy's collapse had already spread from the financial sector to ordinary households.
Those who had taken on massive mortgages in the late 80s found their property values shrinking, yet they still had to live in leaky, cramped old houses.
"The Ultimate Home Renovation King" had opened a window right in the hearts of these people.
The ripples caused by this TV program were far from subsiding, and a new chain reaction was already following in its wake.
It was no longer just a simple variety show, but a gear shifting the entire industrial chain.
Tuesday evening, outside the news studio of TV Tokyo.
It is no longer just a simple variety show, but a gear driving the entire industry.
Tuesday evening, outside the news studio of TV Tokyo.
The director pushes the fader, cutting to the reporter on the front lines.
On screen, a street in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, appears, with a two-story building bearing the sign "Endo Architectural Design Office" in the background.
"I'm here in Shinjuku Ward," the reporter says, holding a microphone amidst a backdrop of incessant telephone ringing. "Since the third episode of The Ultimate Home Renovation King aired last Sunday, architectural firms all over Tokyo have been experiencing an unprecedented surge in inquiries. The Endo Office where we are now is the very place where Mr. Endo, the 'Takumi' from the first episode, works."
The camera zooms in, revealing the interior of the office.
Three young assistants have telephone receivers tucked between their shoulders and ears, their hands scribbling rapidly on paper.
Mr. Endo himself faces the camera, dark circles under his eyes and his hair slightly disheveled, yet his spirits are surprisingly high.
"The phones haven't stopped ringing since Monday morning," Mr. Endo tells the microphone, holding a rolled-up blueprint like a cylinder. "They're all clients asking about renovating old houses. It's not just locals from Tokyo; clients from Saitama, Chiba, and even as far away as Osaka have called, hoping we can send someone to look at their old houses that are over eighty years old."
The reporter seizes the moment to ask: "What specific impact has this craze had on the industry?"
Mr. Endo nods and points to a light truck parked outside the window, branded with the words "Matsumoto Construction."
The reporter promptly followed up: "What kind of concrete impact has this boom had on the industry?"
Endo nodded and pointed to a light truck parked outside the window, branded with the words "Matsumoto Construction." "The impact is very direct. Our office is completely overwhelmed; the renovation projects we've taken on require a massive number of construction teams. In the past two days, I've contacted five construction crews I've worked with before. They were facing a shortage of work due to the reduction in government infrastructure projects, but now their schedules are booked until next spring."
The camera cuts to the street level.
A middle-aged man wearing work clothes and a hard hat is unloading two cases of beer from the truck.
The reporter approaches him for an interview.
The man wipes off his sweat and bows to the camera. "I'm the person in charge of Matsumoto Construction. To be honest, last month I was actually considering selling this truck and going back to my hometown to farm. My guys hadn't received their full wages for several months. Who would have thought that in just the past few days, Mr. Endo would have handed us four renovation projects. The guys have food on the table again."
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